Although cruise ships are generally safe, a passenger can be injured if a crew member, the cruise line itself or a fellow passenger acts negligently. As a passenger on a cruise ship, it’s crucial to be informed about potential dangers and how to protect your rights.
Here is what you need to know:
Common causes of injuries on cruise ships
The common negligent factors that can lead to cruise ship injuries are wet/slippery surfaces, poor lighting, uneven/damaged flooring, clutter, inadequate security measures, unsanitary food handling and inadequate medicare care.
For instance, if the floors on the decks around pools and dining areas are not properly maintained, a passenger may slip and fall. If a cruise has inadequate security measures, the risk of a passenger being assaulted can be high.
Further, a cruise ship that fails to store food at the correct temperature, allows raw and cooked food to come into contact or handles food with unhygienic hands, endangers passengers. Passengers may experience food poisoning.
It’s also not common for passengers to be injured during shore excursions. This can happen when a cruise line hires an incompetent excursion provider, fails to warn passengers about known dangers associated with an activity or allows passengers to use poorly maintained equipment.
A cruise line that acts negligently can be considered to have breached the duty of care it owed to passengers.
What to do after sustaining an injury
After sustaining an injury on a cruise ship, you need to gather evidence. Take photos and videos of the scene and collect the contact information of witnesses. Then, seek medical help from the medical staff. You also need to notify the cruise director or any crew member about the injury.
When you return to shore after being injured on a ship, you need to know the steps to take to recover damages. Learn more to make informed decisions.